A Time To Say Goodbye
by therubyone
Summary: It's the summer after high school graduation:  time for Josh and Drake to part, as their lives take separate paths.  The boys go on a  final farewell trip.  7 Chapters.  Humor & fluff.  RATED:  M for Mature, some slash in last 2 chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: _**Drake and Josh**_ are owned by Viacomm and Dan Schneider, not me, although I think I'd take much better care of them.

**Summary: **It's the summer after high school graduation: time for Josh and Drake to part, as their lives take separate paths.

**Author: **therubyone

_**A TIME TO SAY GOODBYE**_

_**Chapter One – Friday Afternoon (A Camping We Will Go)**_

"Don't worry, Mom, you'll do fine," Josh Nichols tried to convince his stepmother Audrey Parker-Nichols. He and his stepbrother Drake and their father Walter had spent the last week teaching Audrey how to drive a manual stick shift. She was going to use the yellow VW convertible, while the boys used her SUV. The stepbrothers were going camping for a long weekend at Lake Henshaw, where the family had spent some vacation time over the years.

Josh could tell that tears were forming in Audrey's eyes by the way she blinked in the sunlight and caught her breath, even though she was smiling. These little glimpses of a mother's conflicted emotions were coming at more and more frequent intervals. In two weeks' time, Josh would be heading off to college.

Drake Parker and his back-up band were joining the final seven weeks of The Sparks' summer tour, to open for them, as a replacement for the Farley Rangers, who had been forced to drop off the bill due to a member's continued drug abuse (hushed up) and resulting injury (reason given for withdrawing). Drake was scheduled to leave on Tuesday. Drake, to put it simply, was in heaven.

Walter Nichols, while concerned about his wife's feelings, seemed pleased that the nest would soon be a little emptier. He put an arm around Audrey and said to his son and stepson (both nearly grown men now!), "I'll take the bug, if necessary. We'll manage. You two just go off and have some fun," and with a meaningful look, he added " – peaceful and quiet fun, that is."

"Do you have any last-minute questions? You boys have never been camping without me and your dad before. Are you sure you wouldn't rather do something else, something less risky?" asked Audrey, sounding unsure. Audrey's imagination was filled with images of the boys starting a forest fire, being attacked in the wild by chupacabras, giving themselves food poisoning and getting dehydrated, driving recklessly, or finding themselves in a myriad of threatening and unfortunate predicaments.

Walter pooh-poohed his wife's objections, saying "Oh, this is perfect for them. They just want to go and do _guy_ things, like not shaving or bathing, with no un-cool parents hovering over them."

Both boys kissed Audrey, got in the vehicle, and headed out. Drake was driving and Josh was navigating. Drake laughed and said to Josh, as they pulled out of the driveway, "This is probably the last 'peace and quiet' either of us is going to have for a rather l-o-n-g time!" Drake was elated that his dreams were coming true.

"No doubt! You'll be attending the School of Rock and I'll be doin' it up at UCLA!" answered Josh, equally excited about the future.

Drake put in The Sparks' latest CD. "I need to study their sound some more. I want to learn as much as I can from them!"

"In between the beer and the groupies, you mean?" kidded Josh.

"Yeah, well, it won't be ALL fun and games," Drake said, looking forward to the fun and games, but not at all minding the hard work involved, either.

After a quick stop at the drugstore, they got on the highway and headed for their destination. After listening to the new CD, the boys then sang along to **_The Sparks'_** **_Greatest Hits_**. One of their #1 songs was _"Seven Things I'll Miss About You."_

Drake asked Josh, "So, what seven things will you miss about me?"

Josh answered, "Okay. Number One. When you rush in all excited, about to have a heart attack, and you're shouting my name. Like if you don't tell me something immediately, you'll explode."

Drake, nettled, replied, "Well! Then I'll have to say I'll miss the way it never fails to startle you and you fall over and / or break something: all in response to the sound of my voice."

Josh, noting Drake's critical tone, said, diplomatically, "Number Two. I'll miss Bad Movie Tuesdays, won't you?"

Drake was like a badger, always ready to dig in his heels at what he perceived as an insult. Recognizing that Josh had not been trying to put him down, Drake backed off and said, "I'll list that as my second as well."

"Maybe you should start, while I'm organizing my thoughts," said Josh, wanting to avoid any trouble.

After changing lanes, Drake said, "I'll miss going on double dates with you. But you always crack me up so much, I have to watch out that the girl doesn't feel neglected!"

"I'll miss when we play video games," Josh said. "We've had some epic battles."

"And I will miss hanging out at The Premiere watching you work, while you fill me up with free soda and popcorn," continued Drake.

Josh cleared his throat and said, "You'll be surprised to hear me say this, but I will kind of miss you getting me into . . . _situations_."

Drake guffawed and answered, "Then I'll say I'll miss you trying - and failing - to get us _out_ of 'situations.'"

Josh drummed his fingers on the dashboard. He continued, "This is hard. There are too many things. Can I say I'll miss seeing you every day?"

Since Drake started the topic, he got to set the rules. He replied, "That's lame, man. Too general." Drake turned off the highway onto a smaller state road, then continued, "I should have put _this_ first: I will miss our fights."

"What?" asked a flabbergasted Josh.

"I could never do anything like that with a little sister," Drake explained. "You know, the tackling and wrestling and all that. It always seemed to make my anger disappear. Plus we always apologized afterwards. I can only remember one time that Megan _ever_ said 'sorry" and that was when she messed up our school video project."

"I think I know what you mean. Sometimes when we were fighting, even though I was mad, I felt like I would bust out laughing, right in the middle of the slapping and flicking," Josh had to admit.

"Don't forget the head butting," added Drake.

"Or the pinching. You were always big with the pinching," Josh emphasized. "You must have picked _that_ up from Megan! I'll substitute the fighting, then, for my number five."

"Finally, I'll miss all your sound effects, especially when you get all worked up and you lose the ability to say words, so you just make noises. What's amazing is that I can actually understand you, when you're doing that!" Drake stated.

Josh didn't take offense. He was too busy thinking. He asked, "Can I say I'll miss your freckles?"

Drake raised his eyebrows, a silent warning that he didn't consider that a proper choice.

Josh spoke up quickly, "Then I'll pick how enthusiastic you are about the latest styles, trends and what-not, like your clothes, the crazy toys and new kinds of candy, and making sure we went to see all the top acts appearing at the Mega-Dome."

"Hey, Navigator. Was that our turn that we just missed?" Drake inquired, gripping the steering wheel.

Checking the map, which had been forgotten during their talk, Josh replied, "Oops. Sorry. Better find a place to turn around."

Shortly thereafter, they arrived at their destination, some 35 miles northeast of the city. Once they located their assigned space, they started to make camp.

As he hauled their beach chairs out of the vehicle, Drake mused, "Sometimes it felt like this day would never come. But when I look back, it seems like high school has flown by. Stepping into this tour comes right on time."

Since the momentous news about joining the line-up with The Sparks, Josh hadn't seen much of Drake. There were so many details to pin down. "Are you nervous?" he asked his stepbrother.

"Hell, yes! But excited, too. I feel like I've been waiting for this ever since I held my first guitar. All the practice and playing those weird, little gigs, is finally paying off," Drake replied.

"My wish for you is that it's everything you've been hoping it would be. The world is just waiting to acknowledge your talents," Josh told him, speaking from the heart. Josh set the bag containing the tent to one side and hooked up a pump to the cigarette lighter in the car, in order to inflate an air mattress.

"Do you think Mom could be any madder about you not choosing to become a doctor, teacher or lawyer?" bubbled Drake, as he dragged materials over to the brick fireplace.

"She's certainly said so often enough! I realized during my internship with Megan's class that not only did I _not_ have the patience, but also that I just wouldn't _want_ to work with kids _all_ the time. As for the law, I think that's _Megan's_ destiny – before she enters politics, that is," reflected Josh.

"Ya think? I foresee a much darker future for our little sister, as a dominatrix or some kind of madam, running her own highly profitable porn website and building an S&M empire," Drake said, making a sour face.

"Alright," agreed Josh, laughing, throwing up his hands in resignation, impressed at Drake's use of such big words. "And _then_ she could go into politics, after she's made her first million."

"We can be certain she'll keep Mom and Walter busy, one way or the other, once we're out of the way. Then Mom won't have time to brood over _both_ sons going into entertainment," said Drake, summing it up. Drake struggled to insert a pole into the ground, so they could hang a lantern from it.

Josh, still smarting over Audrey's disapproval, said "Mom has only herself to blame! She was the one who encouraged me to try out for the school play. She said it would help me to meet girls. She was right, of course, but I don't think she expected me to enjoy acting as much as I did." Josh sat down at the picnic table and worked at zipping their sleeping bags together.

"You didn't get accepted into UCLA on your acting creds alone. You're an awesome writer and a natural comedian, too. However, I'd recommend _not _telling anybody about the magic tricks," Drake advised Josh, flipping his hair out of his eyes as he looked around for the best place to set up another pole.

"We'll see if it goes anywhere. At least _Dad_ was fine with my choice. 'Like father, like son,' with a possible career in television," Josh chuckled, in response.

"Just don't ever let me catch you broadcasting the weather again. That is definitely not where your future lies," Drake further chided him.

Evasively, Josh answered, "Who can say? I want to follow this path wherever it takes me." He mounded up the joined sleeping bags and set them on top of the table.

Drake told Josh, "Los Angeles is only two hours away. At least you can check up on Mom and Dad occasionally, while I'm on the road. And I'm looking forward to some exciting weekends on campus, visiting you and pulling the co-eds."

After the boys unloaded some more of the equipment, they built a fire in the on-site fireplace, so their meal could cook while they set up the tent.

"What's next after the tour?" Josh inquired.

"I'm hoping it will lead straight to a recording session in L.A. and eventually to the Grammies," Drake said, revealing his dreams of things to come.

"You'll get there," Josh reassured him. "And speaking of _Grammy_, if you can convert someone as tough as she is into a fan . . . is she still running your fansite and hawking your T-shirts?"

"Yes, she is. She's remarkable. I bet she'll be setting up a website for you, too, as soon as you get some decent head shots," Drake said in reply.

"I don't know about that," Josh snorted, mortified at the thought, using a stick to poke at the fire. "I'm more private than you are." He placed assorted foil packets on the wire rack over the flames.

He then joined Drake as they worked together to set up their tent. The process went smoothly; they had helped Walter on numerous occasions, in addition to using it themselves in their backyard.

"Man, if you are going to be famous in this day and age, you've got to harness the power of the internet!" expanded Drake, picking up the thread of their conversation. "Put your fans to work for you – _it's free_, a labor of love! There might even be some way to make money off them, I'm thinking." Drake had held no interest in the subjects he'd been taught at school, but he was fast developing a head for any kind of business that was connected with his income and professional development.

As Josh rearranged the foil packets over the fire, Drake rolled the cooler next to the picnic table and took two bottles out of it. "Remember when we used to toast with pudding? I think _this_ calls for a toast." He twisted off the caps of the beer bottles and handed one to Josh.

Josh stared at the bottles incredulously. "Where'd you get these?" he wanted to know.

"I begged Dad. He made me promise we wouldn't drink and drive," Drake replied, with a smile in his voice. "Walter's such a big softie. No wonder Mom loves him!"

Josh shook his head in disbelief. He didn't think his father would have given in to such a request if _he'd_ been the one to ask. He joined Drake, who was already sitting in one of the beach chairs. They faced the lake where they beheld a magnificent view of Palomar Mountain, rising beyond the opposite shore. Lake Henshaw was located in Cleveland National Forest. It was hard to believe that they weren't that far from home; it seemed as if they were alone in the wilderness. The air smelled clean and the only sounds to be heard were made by the resident birds, insects and animals, in counterpoint to the soughing of the breeze through the tree branches.

Drake proposed the toast. "Now, here's to our perfect, brilliant futures!" The boys clinked the bottles together. "To good times and golden days ahead," he finished. They each took a sip. Drake added, "You know, I'm glad I'm leaving first. I don't think I could stand being alone in our room. I hope I'll be able to get my own place pretty soon after the tour."

Josh didn't relish the thought of being alone in their room, either; after all, he'd _never_ been alone in it, and Drake had, before Josh moved in. He didn't want to rain on Drake's parade, though, so he said nothing about the sad little feeling that was growing in the pit of his stomach. Instead, he said "You won't ever have to worry about being alone. Besides your management team and band mates, you'll always have all that attention from the ladies. I can easily imagine a posse forming up around you. Then, after you hit the big time, you'll need to have a security team, a driver and a personal assistant. So maybe you _should _spend a little time alone, since that's not something you'll ever have again."

"I'm not cut out for solitude," Drake insisted. "What about you? I already don't like it that you'll have a roommate in college that won't be me."

"I'm using some of the money I saved up from working at The Premiere to pay extra for a single. So I _won't_ have a roommate. You can put your jealousy away! I need to be able to explore and develop my craft without any distractions. Most of the other students will be more experienced than me, so I'll have to catch up – fast," Josh said, having given the matter considerable thought.

"Nobody can concentrate like you, Josh. I don't think you'll have any trouble." Drake leaned over and squeezed Josh's thigh. "You've got focus. Whatever interests you, you always make sure you master it."

Like twin shooting stars, the boys had been on a collision course since they had been forced into sharing a room early in their freshman year of high school. Although they were very different in appearance and approach, there was a tangible link between them that had been growing from the start. Megan's tortures had acted as a binding agent on them, as well as their continued close proximity. As time passed, they had grown from stepbrothers to brothers to best friends.

During the summer between their junior and senior years, they had also entered into an intimate physical relationship as well, which seemed to them a natural progression to their interaction. This was kept a precious secret between them, something they held apart from the world and the rest of their daily, outer lives. Even though they had attempted to sort out what this meant, they hadn't come to any other conclusions except that they were still interested in pursuing relationships with females and knew instinctively that this private aspect of their connection would stop as they went their individual ways into the wider world. What had begun as an "experiment" had evolved into a regular activity between them, complete with its own signals, language and rituals.

Although they were both prepared to go their own ways, saying goodbye wasn't going to be easy. They were almost one entity at this point: "_Drake'n'Josh_." They'd never been tighter and, despite their quarrels, they always forgave each other and took genuine pleasure in each other's company. The coming separation was going to be a major change for them both.

Continued in Chapter 2


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: _**Drake and Josh**_ owned by Viacomm and Dan Schneider, not me, alas!

**Author: **therubyone

_**A TIME TO SAY GOODBYE**_

_**Chapter Two – Friday Night ('Evil' Starts With an 'M')**_

Josh got up to check on the foil packets that he had earlier set to cook over the fire. Drake fetched two more beers from the cooler and sat at the picnic table, savoring the smells that were wafting his way from the fireplace.

Satisfied that their meal was proceeding on course, Josh hauled a huge gift-wrapped box out from under a tarp in the back of the SUV.

"I want to give this to you now, and then we can burn the box. I had to disguise the shape so you wouldn't guess," Josh said, as he presented the gift to Drake.

Drake tore into it happily and once the cardboard was removed, he could see that it was an instrument case. Opening it and lifting out the shiny new banjo, he said reverently "Beautiful!"

Gratified by the reaction, Josh beamed, adding "Every time you play it or when you write a song with it, you'll think of me."

"True that," agreed Drake, his hands automatically starting to pluck and plink at the strings.

Before Drake could settle in with the new toy, Josh told him firmly "Now put it away. I don't want you sitting here and fooling with it all day and night. You can figure it all out on your own time."

Drake complied, saying "Yeah, this will keep me busy while I'm on the tour bus. You know, I got you something special, too. But I went a completely different way: it's not practical at all. I got the idea while I was visiting Great Aunt Katherine. Mom was ready to incinerate me after that mess with the wedding cake. I can't believe she made me go stay with our great aunt three whole weekends in a row."

Josh commiserated "Yeah, that's when I was doing the play, so you had to go by yourself, poor you! They were pretty mad about my suit getting ruined and I had to pay them back, but I guess I got off easy, in comparison."

Leaning against the car, Drake continued "Aunt Katherine was so lonely after her groom had a heart attack and died on their honeymoon. She was hardly mean at all. Imagine that: death by sex. What a way to go! Of course, having sex at that age, and with Aunt Katherine, sounds like an _automatic_ death sentence to me," said Drake with a grimace and an involuntary shiver. "Ugh! Anyway, once I started spending time with her, I managed to get on Auntie's good side. She helped me get this little gift together."

Drake walked from the back of the SUV, where he'd put the banjo, and opened the passenger door. Reaching into the glove compartment, he produced a small silver case, featuring two belted buckles engraved across the front. He handed it to Josh, who turned it over and over, wondering what it could be. It was oval-shaped and measured 1-3/4 inches in diameter. Josh traced the engraving on the front with his thumb. Drake indicated by gesture that Josh should open it up. Carefully prying it apart, Josh found inside the locket what appeared to be hair, both auburn and black, braided together in an intricate pattern. Realization dawned: it was _their_ hair!

Answering before Josh could ask, "I snipped a lock from the back of your head when you were asleep, so it wouldn't spoil the surprise. I hope you don't think it's too creepy," Drake rushed to explain, questioning now whether this gift had been the right choice. "I know we always got so weirded out about our aunt's collection of hair from people she didn't even know well. This was a Victorian custom, she taught me, from over a hundred years ago, to take a lock of hair from a relative or loved one and have it made into ornamental jewelry. I thought it would be something private, personal and unique."

Touched, but still not sure what to make of it, Josh commented "Well, it is _that_, on all counts!"

Drake continued "When you look at it, you'll always remember the years we've shared. I didn't tell Aunt Katherine who it was for, in case she mentioned it to Mom."

Snapping the case shut and slipping it into his pocket, Josh smiled and said humbly, "Thanks, man. I'll treasure it." Josh returned to the fire. "Would you get out the utensils? Another few minutes and dinner will be served."

Josh had thought the banjo was a perfect gift for Drake, but now he was wondering if that was inadequate somehow, since Drake had gone to the trouble of creating something so personal and different. What could he give in return that would have such meaning?

As Drake set the table, he talked, "You know, I didn't think we'd ever become this close."

"And I can't believe I was so optimistic that we _would_ be friends, right from the start. When _I _look back, it makes me shudder to think what a total dork I was. That must have given you the skeeves, coming into your room and finding your new stepbrother dressed like a freakish lady!" Josh said, embarrassed.

"I admit it was an awful shock. But your motivation was pure. _That's_ what really got to me. You wanted to help people," Drake conceded.

"In the end, _you_ helped _me_ -- to get over _that_ little quirk. God, I must've driven you crazy with my obsessive, compulsive behavior and complete nerdiness," Josh said.

"Ahaha, but I always had my guitar for a weapon, to counter-attack your nerves. So what if you weren't so 'cool' back then? You were just . . . irresistible. And from your non-stop nagging, I know many of my personal habits certainly annoyed you!" countered Drake.

"I have to say I won't miss hearing your continuous guitar-playing, though I'm glad it's paying off for you. You never got distracted and you never gave up, trying to reach your goal." Josh was admitting, in an offhand way, that despite his efforts to get Drake to pay attention to schoolwork and grades, that in the end, it wasn't going to matter for Drake after all. At least Josh had made sure that Drake had been able to graduate.

Drake concluded "It's a miracle we managed to get into so much trouble along the way, as busy as we've both been."

Testily, Josh added "About half that trouble was the result of Megan's interference and not regular growing pains."

"My favorite memories are the ones where we _didn't_ get caught, like that time we snuck out to ride the Demonator," Drake said, grinning broadly as he recalled that special night.

Josh said "You have to admit, though, that when we did get caught or blamed, because of Megan, that after a while, all the grounding backfired on Mom and Dad. Soon, it was just an excuse to stay up in our room together and goof off. When you weren't sneaking out the window, that is."

Drake came back with "It's not like you never snuck out _with_ me! But, yes, having fun together in our room was certainly preferable to hanging around with an assortment of petty criminals. And bizarre-o psychopaths like that monkey-eater, what's-his-name, oh, and that ass Henry Doheny."

Looking pained, Josh admitted "You know, part of my childhood died that day, when Henry paid Megan and only gave us those crappy YO-YO'S! After everything we did for him . . ."

Drake, covering old ground, spoke only half in jest, "You're such an idealist, with your trophies and certificates, and looking for the best in people. You're going to have to toughen up, my brotha, for the future you've got planned. Oprah didn't get to where she is now without dealing with criticism and rejection."

Using silicone mitts, Josh brought the various packets to the table and carefully opened them up. His rebuttal to Drake was "The thing I admire most about Oprah is her desire to help people improve the quality of their lives! She's practical yet spiritual! And you can't call _her_ a loser. Isn't she the richest woman in America today? And as for _awards_, haven't you always said you wanted a Grammy!"

"All I want to hear about Oprah in the future is that I've been booked to appear as a guest on her show. Or that YOU'LL be appearing. Ha. Let's eat. Let's see how your campfire cuisine has turned out," Drake said, turning his attention to the meal. He leaned over the steaming packets and sniffed appreciatively.

"I swear I have never seen anybody eat like you do without ever gaining an ounce," said Josh, wishing that he had a similar metabolism.

"Once I hit 30, I'll have to start worrying about getting fat, but until then I intend to enjoy myself without guilt," Drake answered, digging into the food with gusto. He winked, and added, "Besides, you know I like your cooking!" After a slight pause, he added the caveat, "Most of the time." Drake shuddered as he recalled Josh's tuna salad (containing raisins) with dread. Between bites, he commented, "I can't believe you're serving chicken, after that wing-eating contest up here, when you got thrown in the lake by those protesters!"

"The campground seems pretty quiet. Anyway, the PFCR doesn't picket individual meals," Josh answered. "That experience made me aware that I needed to improve my swimming skills, but I never stopped eating chicken!" he added.

After consuming mesquite-marinated chicken breasts with assorted steamed vegetables, sour dough toast, and, baked bananas drizzled with honey and coconut flakes, they disposed of the foil and paper plates, and then dumped their utensils into a bucket of bleach water.

Continuing to relish the thought of yummy things to eat, Drake announced "Time for the S'mores!" as he and Josh started to impale marshmallows onto long shish-kabob skewers. Josh checked the fire. Drake assembled chocolate squares onto graham crackers on a piece of foil at the table while Josh, using both hands, held the skewered marshmallows over the embers, carefully charring the sweet, white puffs to perfection.

While Drake enveloped each squishy marshmallow between the layers of chocolate and graham crackers, Josh said, "For a minute I was afraid you'd forgotten the candy bars for the S'mores. When I saw the bottle of chocolate syrup in the box –"

Drake, intent on his task, replied "Oh, that's not for the S'mores. That's for some fun . . . later on."

Giggling, Josh answered "Nothing says 'fun' like chocolate! Let's eat our dessert." Since it was a special occasion, he allowed himself the treats, breaking from his diet.

Drake scooped up several of the S'mores for himself and suggested "Let's watch the sunset."

They continued to drink their beers, eat gooey S'mores, and marvel at the display in the sky, sitting close together on top of the picnic table, with their feet resting on the table's seating plank. As the dark settled around them, Drake licked his fingers, got up and ignited the lanterns he had earlier posted strategically around their site.

When everything had been devoured and both boys were feeling completely satiated, Josh broke the silence, saying "What a perfect night. Where's the flashlight? I need to take a leak."

Drake rooted through a canvas tote bag next to the cooler. "Here it is. I'll go, too."

Later, returning from their mission, Drake grumbled slightly, "We should have done this before it got dark, and before we drank so much." Drake held the flashlight as Josh limped to the table, and into the circle of light produced by the lanterns.

"It's nothing, I just skinned my knee," Josh assured him.

Drake fussed protectively. "We need to make sure there's no dirt in it. Just sit still a minute." Drake got the first-aid kit from under the seat in the car. After Josh flooded the wound with bottled water, Drake applied antibacterial spray and covered it with a bandage.

"Maybe _you _should become the physician and make Mom happy again," Josh teased, as Drake played doctor.

"So not gonna happen!" Drake shook his head, as he recalled that his last impersonation of a doctor, when Josh was in the hospital, had caused him bodily harm.

The boys' camaraderie was interrupted by a bright flash of lightning, followed by the distant sound of thunder.

"Drake, you did check the weather report for this area, didn't you?" inquired Josh, glancing up uneasily into the night sky.

"I was in the kitchen packing things and Megan was at the table with her laptop. Since she was already online, she checked. All clear," Drake answered, innocently.

"And you _trusted_ her?" asked Josh, hesitantly, in a small voice.

"Maybe? Yes. I was in a hurry," Drake said ruefully, regretting that he had most probably been tricked again.

"Unbelievable! Besides getting the stuff for the S'mores together, the only jobs you had were to pack your clothes and check the weather," Josh said, making an effort not to take an accusatory tone.

"Sometimes I forget how evil she is," Drake whined. "You know how busy I've been! She was just sitting there like a normal little girl. What motivation would she have for telling a lie about the forecast?"

"Think. Because it would ruin our fun. And that would give her pleasure. She's a twisted little demon. We'll soon be harder for her to get at, although I'm not putting anything past her. She's got a full array of technology at her disposal. She has to get her licks in while she still can," Josh fumed.

"We don't even know if that storm's moving this way," Drake said, to be conciliatory.

There was another blinding flash, followed by a loud boom – this time, closer together.

"So it _is_ headed this way. What do we need to do?" asked Drake, defeated.

"Get everything that mustn't get wet back into the car. Cover the firewood with that tarp," Josh told him, going down a mental checklist.

"I'll do that," answered Drake, springing into action.

Josh grabbed the bag of charcoal and moved it to safety. After the tarp was weighted down, Drake started quickly carrying the plastic crates containing their food to the SUV. Josh took two of the lanterns into the tent, and turned off the others, leaving them in place on the poles. He was hobbling around with the flashlight, checking to see if they'd forgotten anything. Their trash was already double-bagged and they hurried down the road to place it in its designated animal-proof receptacle, illuminated as they went by periodic bursts of lightning. A low pressure front swept over them, so they knew the rain would follow very soon. Back at their site, they shook the bleach water off the utensils, wrapped them in a towel and stuck them in the SUV. Then the first fat, stinging raindrops started to bounce off the ground.

"Into the tent," they said to each other, simultaneously.

They took off their shoes and threw them into a plastic grocery bag, and carried it with them as they dove into their dry haven. As if on cue, the rain began beating down full force.

Josh thought aloud, "I hope we're positioned properly against runoff. I did put the groundsheet underneath. Dad renewed the waterproofing on the tent a couple weeks ago."

Drake continued the inventory, "We've got some bottled water in here. All the food's locked in the car. Boxed up."

"Do you have the keys?" Josh asked.

"Yes. And you have the spares, remember?" Drake answered.

Josh said, "Then all we can do now is sit tight and enjoy the sound and smell of the rain."

Drake hugged Josh, purring "And enjoy each other." Looking around, he then asked, "Where's that bag from the drugstore?"

Josh replied, "If you didn't put it in here, then it's still in the front seat."

Drake inquired, "Do you think I should run out and get it? I could strip first, so my clothes wouldn't get wet."

Josh told Drake, "We've only got a roll of paper towels in here. The beach towels are still packed up in the back of the SUV. Don't bother. It's not worth getting a chill. We don't really need it. If the rain stops in the night, or, hopefully by morning, if we want it, we can get it then."

Noting a faraway look playing across Josh's face, Drake asked, "Are you mad?"

Josh responded, "No, of course not. I've been fooled many times by Megan, too, you know. I was just thinking back to that trip the family took to San Francisco, when Mom was presenting a paper at that symposium."

Drake knew exactly what he was referring to, "When we stayed in that luxury suite?"

Josh continued to reminisce, "Yeah. Once Megan was asleep and the folks were in the ballroom –"

Drake interjected, finishing the thought, " - We put the Country Meadows in the hot tub and raided the minibar!"

Choking with laughter, Josh remembered, "We must have spent 20 minutes filling up those little bottles with iced tea and gluing the seals back in place."

Doubling up, Drake added, "And we didn't get caught!"

Josh answered, "Yes, we did?!"

Drake thought a moment, saying "You mean we got caught in the hot tub with the bubble bath. But that was AFTER the _sugar_ and we'd put on our swim trunks. We were just soaking then. No suspicion there."

Josh continued, chuckling, "And Dad was so anxious to get _Mom _into the jacuzzi, he threw us out without a second thought. Ha ha."

Drake made the gesture of putting his finger down his throat and said, "Ew! Dude! Don't remind me." He had accepted Walter as a father figure, but he would never be even remotely comfortable at the thought the man was having sex with his mother. Moving to look out the window flap of the tent, he asked Josh, "So you're not mad, but are you wishing we'd checked into a motel or hotel instead?" At this point, it was Drake himself who would have preferred that alternative.

Josh answered, "Come on. We considered that. But since we'd have to use our parents' credit card, they might think that's a bit odd." Trying to look on the bright side, he said further, "No worries, our trip's not over yet."

Josh, who had also been looking out through the mesh, moved away from the little window. The sudden, heavy rainfall was all that could be seen. They were in what was considered a four-man tent, so it was relatively roomy for two people. There was a full-sized air mattress in one corner, with their sleeping bags (zipped together) on top of it. Josh eased himself, favoring his hurt knee, onto their makeshift bed, resting his head on 'Mr. Puff-Puff,' his special pillow.

As Drake turned, Josh caught his eye and suggested, "Since you said 'strip,' why don't you put on a show for me?"

Drake zipped the window flap shut against the pounding rain. He started to bump and grind his hips a little, slowly removing his tight, black T-shirt, and then said, testily, "It doesn't feel right without music."

Noting Drake's crestfallen look, Josh asked, "In the car?"

Drake nodded. Then he flopped down on the mattress next to Josh, causing Josh to bounce a little.

Josh then said, "I've told you that I'M not mad. Are YOU mad? You're wearing your frowny face."

Drake replied, "No. Yes. Mad about trusting Megan. What was I thinking? Mad about her being so evil and always wanting to do bad things to us."

Josh wouldn't put anything past Megan. She knew they'd been planning a special trip and it was just like her to pull something. But he didn't like the idea of it bringing Drake down. Patting Drake's arm, he said, "We don't need to let her. Now we can't do a thing about the rain. But nothing can stop us from having a good time."

Drake was still brooding. Everything had been absolutely perfect lately and he didn't like this bump in the road one little bit. Josh tried to distract him by taking his face between both hands and kissing him. Since Josh was not getting the intended response, he stopped and gave Drake his space. Drake sighed heavily; he was very much aware that this might be one of the last times they'd be alone together before their lives changed permanently. And they were stuck in the stupid tent in the stupid, pouring rain. The bag containing the lube, the condoms, massage oil, breath mints, candy and other assorted little goodies was in the car. Along with the G-O and its portable sound system.

Josh felt like sighing himself. If truth be told, he was mightily relieved not to be managing Drake's musical career any more. It was too much work and since the shrimp incident had become a source of tension between them. Josh needed to manage his own future now. And, frankly, after years of therapy with Dr. Stein, Drake was still a very angry person inside. True, he was sensitive and _so_ sweet, when he wanted to be, that Josh loved him completely, but Drake was also demanding and tended to complain readily when things weren't going his way. Josh had concluded it was just Drake's nature, which he accepted and no longer tried to change. Despite his outward impression of cool, Drake was high maintenance, tightly wound, and his sunny disposition and charm could change as easily as the weather, to annoyance, sulks, and cutting remarks.

Josh often wondered if his life would have turned out differently if _he'd _had therapy. Why was he always trying to "fix" people and what made him such a perfectionist and worry wart? Therapy wasn't something Walter believed in. And the fact that Walter treated Josh differently only bothered Josh sometimes. Since Audrey was the love of his father's life, Walter treated Audrey's children like fine, porcelain china. Sure, Dad blustered and blew up, but he also tended to be more lenient with Drake and Megan than with Josh. Walter held high expectations for Josh. And, of course, Dad was blind to any of Megan's atrocities; she had him wrapped around her little finger.

Josh had been thrilled when he learned he was going to have an instant family, especially a mother. What he hadn't bargained on were the two Parker kids, sharpening their teeth on him for the next four years. Megan had been pranking Drake alone all those years before they became a blended family, so she felt it was her job to make up for lost time with Josh. Megan had left Josh alone for the first two weeks he had lived with them, but after that it was open and constant warfare. No wonder Drake could be so touchy and guarded; Josh didn't want to believe Drake's chilling tale of how Megan, at age five, had pushed Drake out of her bedroom window, causing him to break his arm, and, then told Audrey he'd fallen. One of the first times that Drake had ever opened up to Josh, in the beginning, was in an effort to console him after he'd been the outraged victim of Megan's earliest pranks against him. Drake had plenty of stories that made Josh's hair stand on end; not only the sheer cruelty of Megan's pranks, but the fact that she always got away with them! Josh wondered if Drake's personality would have turned out differently if he had a normal little sister.

Josh and Drake had watched an old black-and-white film on TV once called _"The Bad Seed"_ about a little charmer with braids who went around murdering people who got in her way, and, of course, getting away with it every time. They recoiled in horror as they looked at each other, both intoning "Megan!"

Then there were the times Megan and Drake sided together against Josh. It was a good thing Josh had already developed a thick skin during his earlier childhood, being a social outcast. Grammy always told him, "Just be true to yourself," and "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." Both pieces of advice had served Josh well. Josh's specialty, in fact, was _limeade_ and he was game for just about anything. His self-confidence continued to increase as he grew older.

Josh put his hands behind his head and lost himself in his thoughts and memories. In the silence, broken only by the sound of the downpour, Drake sighed again and rested his head on Josh's chest. Almost absent-mindedly, Josh started firmly rubbing Drake's back. That always seemed to have a calming effect. A lone, salty tear slid out of Drake's eye and down his nose. He quickly brushed it away and felt himself starting to relax under Josh's familiar ministrations.

"Wouldn't _this_ make a great episode for the _**Fance and Nance**_ show?" Drake asked, ruefully.

"_**Nance and Fance**_, you mean!" replied Josh, automatically.

"Why should _you_ get top billing?" Drake carped, moodily.

The boys had made up their own crazy television sitcom, starring themselves as the innocent victims of the invincible puppet master Megan the Terrible. The show's title referred to Josh's old alter ego, Miss Nancy: it was the very first secret that they had shared between them. "Fance," short for "Fancy," was one of Josh's many pet names for Drake.

Josh didn't answer Drake's question, not wanting to argue, but started humming softly, something classical. Drake recognized it from their study sessions. He felt the vibrations through Josh's chest cavity and it relaxed him all the more. "Joshie, I'm gonna miss you," he said sincerely. He brought his arm around Josh's torso and hugged him tightly.

"Me, too. But you know we'll both do fine," Josh murmured, leaning over and kissing Drake on the tip of his nose, wanting to believe it himself, as he returned the hug. Josh knew the moment of separation was coming, and soon; he was steeling himself against it, trying to concentrate only on Drake's unfolding musical career. Josh really would miss the freckles. Josh kept up the massage, drifting through his own mental landscape, and was only brought back to the moment by the commencement of Drake's snoring. Drake had been in a frenzy of activity all week, and now his fatigue at last overcame him; he had become so relaxed, settled in next to Josh, that he had gone to sleep.

Recalling their conversation in the car driving over, Josh knew there were seven things he would NOT miss: 1) Drake and Megan helping themselves to his items and cash, 2) Drake's snoring, 3) Drake's continuous needling about Josh's personal likes and dislikes, such as Oprah, 4) Drake's penchant for getting Josh to wait on him hand and foot, 5) Drake's neverending parade of random girls and Drake's treatment of them (but would that count for one or two?), 6) Drake blowing hot and cold all the time, and 7) Drake's complete and utter disdain for correct behavior, including obeying parents, doing chores, getting good grades and perfect attendance. Drake's hatred for Mindy? Well, that he could understand. He didn't even truly understand his own relationship to the girl. Drake's ability to come out on the winning side, having a lucky star? Couldn't be helped. Then he thought about the freckles again. The things he would miss would far outweigh the things he wouldn't.

Disengaging himself from Drake's grasp, Josh sat up and quickly divested himself of his lavender polo and long, baggy khaki shorts. It could get very stuffy in the tent with all the flaps closed. He turned off the second lantern, put the flashlight within easy reach in a net pocket on the tent wall, along with their bottles of water, and lowered the intensity of the remaining lantern to its dimmest setting. He broke open a citronella capsule and put it into its special holder, setting it as far away from their bed as he could manage. He turned on a battery-powered camping fan and set it to oscillate.

Finally, he carefully removed Drake's camo cargo shorts and managed to turn and position him into the sleeping bag without disturbing his slumber. Josh climbed in beside him, spooning Drake and putting an arm around him. His face was behind and above Drake's head, so he could easily nuzzle the back of his neck. Josh muttered softly near Drake's ear, "Good night. I love you." When Josh was comfortable and sure that everything had been secured for the night, it was his own turn to drift off to sleep, lulled by the sound of the rain, intermingled with Drake's low, rhythmic snoring.

Continued in Chapter 3


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: _**Drake and Josh**_ are owned by Viacomm and Dan Schneider, not me, and I am not attempting to make any kind of profit with this, only to provide some kind of closure...

**Author: **therubyone

_**A TIME TO SAY GOODBYE**_

_**Chapter Three - Saturday ("Howdy, Neighbor!")**_

In the morning, the boys were cramped after a night in the sleeping bag, so they got up without lingering in the tent and started to eat breakfast.

Josh observed, "It's been so dry up here, looks like the ground soaked up most of the rain. It's not extremely muddy. We got here too late yesterday to look around much. Why don't we take a walk and check the terrain? We could go for a dip in the lake."

Agreeing, Drake slurped at his cereal, saying "That sounds like a plan. This afternoon maybe we could go horseback riding. And we need to find out about getting a boat. We want to get in some fishing before we have to leave. We'd better find out where all the other campers are located, too."

When they returned, several hours later, to their dismay, they found another tent in the site right beside theirs -- even though there were only empty sites surrounding them as far as they could see in all directions. The offending occupants were none other than their neighbors from San Diego, the Carmichaels. After a brief exchange of greetings and half-hearted pleasantries, the boys learned that Megan had recommended this campground to the family, while she was babysitting Robbie, since the Carmichaels wanted to get away for the weekend, but their place in Fresno was being re-painted.

The boys ducked into their tent and peeled off their wet trunks. Drake kicked his into a corner, but Josh retrieved it and put both of the wet bathing suits into a plastic bag. Drake was livid, almost pacing in place, due to the space limitations of the tent. He clenched and unclenched his fists.

Josh tried to be helpful. "Look at you, getting yourself all worked up. Remember how you've always told me that things go better when you relax?"

Drake said, peevishly, "And it only took you a year or so to listen to me, right? I'd like to _kill_ Megan. I feel like driving home right now and kicking the snot out of her."

"Then she'd win, wouldn't she?" inquired Josh.

Drake complained, "This isn't how I pictured it. I imagined us rolling around on a blanket under the stars, just the two of us and Mother Nature, not stuck in the tent, wondering if it's going to rain and having to look over our shoulders every minute. It's just not what I expected. The whole scene's a real mood-killer."

Josh didn't know what else to do, so he started drying Drake's hair with a towel, stooping a little to plaster Drake's shoulders with kisses, hoping to relieve his pique.

They were suddenly startled by sound and movement right outside their open tent 'window.' "Mom! Dad! Drake and Josh are naked in their tent!" sang out a child's voice.

Then they heard Mrs. Carmichael say "Robbie, come away from there. You know they have to change out of their swimsuits."

As one, the boys each turned to their separate piles of dry clothes and practically jumped into them.

Josh felt his own temper starting to flare. "That tears it. What do you think we should do? I got nothing." He had given up trying to paint a nice picture on the situation.

His mind working overtime, Drake said, "I've got it - why don't we drive up to Great Aunt Katherine's beach house? I think Laguna Niguel's only 80 or 90 miles away from here."

"We wouldn't be alone there, either." Josh reminded him.

Drake tried to put his plan across. "At night we would. Wait 'til you see - she has this insane antique four-poster bed in her guestroom, the kind with the canopy on top. We could spend the day at the beach, or whatever; she wouldn't be around us every moment. She's too old to do very much. And her hearing's not good at all."

Josh, not coming up with anything else, finally said, "Well, we both know that Robbie isn't going to let us alone for a minute. And it _is_ supposed to rain intermittently – I used my phone to check the local forecast this morning." It was Josh's turn to complain, "But what a chore to strike camp after we just got set up. It's SO unfair. I'd like to strangle Megan sometimes." Regaining his composure after a moment he said, "Okay. Let's do it."

Drake felt better now that they had established a goal. He begged "Can we have lunch first?" Then he showed Josh his tummy.

Nudging Drake out of the tent and following him, Josh said, laughing, "Sure. I wouldn't want my Baby Bird to starve."

Continued in Chapter 4


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: _**Drake and Josh**_ are owned by Viacomm and Dan Schneider, and . . . not me (aw, jeez!).

**Author: **therubyone

_**A TIME TO SAY GOODBYE**_

_**Chapter Four – Saturday Night (Auntie's Special Touches)**_

Since the Carmichael family had gone boating on the lake, the boys had no need to provide an explanation for the abrupt departure. Once they got everything stashed, they hopped in the car and were out of there. Josh drove this time, while Drake phoned ahead to let their great aunt know they were headed her way.

They made great time until they got to the coast. As they moved slowly in the traffic, they chatted.

Drake said, "It's hard to believe The Premiere is no more, since Eric burned the place down –"

"It was actually Craig who caused the fire," interjected Josh. "He feels awful about it, especially with Eric away in Puerto Rico. But, I know what you mean: I finally got the gold vest and now there's no place for me to wear it. I guess Helen was so dazed by having her wedding finish up in the parking lot, she wasn't thinking how long it would take to re-build and get the place up and running again."

"Ill-fated. Just like your reunion with Mindy," Drake commented.

Josh gave his opinion. "I don't regret that, even though it turned out to be a booty call in the end. We plan to stay in touch with each other. We've got a lot of history. But I don't think Mindy's going to be satisfied with any man she considers her intellectual inferior. I predict she'll end up marrying one of her college professors. Or some older man who's just as conservative and wealthy as her own father."

Drake asked, "I heard Gavin moved to L.A. and is doing stand up?"

Josh confirmed the rumor. "Once Helen's high school sweetheart, Buzz, was back on the scene, she cut Gavin off, with no mercy. The guy was gutted. So he took off."

An amused Drake said, "And how about Crazy Steve hooking up with Helen's god-awful grandma!? Undeniable proof that he really IS crazy. Everything's changing."

Josh couldn't deny that. "Well, you've been pretty busy yourself recently, interviewing musicians and putting a tour band together. And rehearsing."

"Don't forget meeting with the tailor for my hot, new look," said Drake, proudly, referring to the stage outfits he'd designed himself.

Josh pushed Drake's shoulder, "Oh, you're just a whore for the velvet jackets!"

After becoming first a bride and then a widow within 48 hours, Aunt Katherine sold her city condo and decided to live in her beach house year-round. She had begun making some changes to the place shortly after Drake's mandatory visits were over. The first thing the boys noticed when they pulled up was that a ramp had been added to the front porch.

Aunt Katherine was confused. She remembered Josh from when he was heavier and couldn't seem to reconcile the differences in his appearance. Now she wasn't sure who he was. The boys carried their sport bags into the guest room, and were disappointed upon seeing twin beds.

Drake queried crabbily, "Where'd that four-poster go?!?!?"

Aunt Katherine answered, "That old thing? I sold it. These are more like hospital beds. They're adjustable. I'm just planning ahead. I won't live forever, you know."

The boys knew that was true, but they remembered their mother saying that Aunt Katherine would outlive them all, and that it was her bitterness that kept her alive.

Drake wasn't feeling polite. "Look. We got really tired packing up and leaving the campground and driving down here in the beach traffic. We're going to call it an early night and just go to bed, okay?" It wasn't even dark yet. Drake moved to shut the bedroom door, leaving Aunt Katherine standing in the hall. "I hope you don't mind." As he did so, Drake told Josh, "We can push the beds together."

Josh, now starting to question the wisdom of their hasty flight from the campground, slowly started unpacking a few things. "Did you notice there's no lock on that door?"

Choosing to ignore Josh's inquiry, Drake hopped on the bed. On his stomach, Drake bounced his rump up and down and looked back over his shoulder and said seductively, "I've got another surprise for you."

Josh brightened instantly and said, "Oh, I've got one for you, too."

Josh crawled on top of Drake, nipping his ear from behind, and then started mauling him like a bear. Drake was giggling, pleased with the attention, as he turned over, saying "Go stand by the door and I'll unwrap my package for you." Josh did as he'd been told.

Drake stood up, dropped his shorts to the floor and said "Ta-da!" He was wearing a pair of form-fitting red bikini briefs.

Josh looked shocked, then he sort of rumbled from the back of his throat, "Oh, my God, does Mom know?"

Their mother had a theory about healthy sperm production relative to the amount of air circulating around young men's private parts. Walter was a confirmed tighty-whitey style brief-wearer, even going so far as to buy used ones off the internet, but Audrey was firm in her belief that growing boys needed to wear boxers. And drink plenty of juice.

Slowly, Josh dropped his own pants. He was wearing a white string bikini. He rubbed his hands together with glee at Drake's surprised (and very interested) expression.

Admiringly, Drake whistled and said, in a low voice, "Purdy! Now quit playing pat-a-cake, hot pants, and get over here."

Playing along, Josh said "What does the baker's man have in his oven today? Let's see." He squeezed Drake's butt. "Ah. Pancakes!" Then he reached between Drake's legs. "Here are two fine biscuits."

Drake whispered in Josh's ear, "I think you'll find the dough in my loaf is starting to rise." The boys began making out, joyfully, glad that they were no longer trapped in the tent by prying eyes or bad weather. Feeling the sweet, firm pressure of their lips meeting, entwined in each other's arms, their kisses grew deeper, probing.

Things were heating up nicely between them, when there came a distinct tapping at the door. Aunt Katherine's voice was heard. "I made you boys some hot cocoa. Come and drink it before you go to sleep."

The boys, in their T-shirts and underwear, were entangled on the bed; they stopped embracing and pushed away from each other hastily at the sound of their aunt's voice, thankful that she hadn't opened the un-lockable door.

Drake answered for them both. "Uh. Be there in a minute, Aunt Katherine."

Josh got up and started running in place. Drake joined him.

Fully clothed again, the boys joined Aunt Katherine in her kitchen. Her vast collection of salt and pepper shakers adorned the display shelves lining the walls of this room.

Aunt Katherine told them, "I know boys just love hot cocoa."

Drake pointed out, "But we're at the beach. It's summer. This is Southern California." He thought she might have forgotten any or all of these things.

Josh added, "The weather's kind of hot, actually, for cocoa."

Blithely ignoring them, Aunt Katherine plowed on, "I added my own special touches, you'll see."

The hot drinks were covered with fluffy, white mounds of whipped cream, sprinkled with something reddish. Wanting to get their social obligations over with, the boys dutifully started drinking the beverages as offered.

After several gulps, Josh remarked, "This tastes . . . _different_. Is that cinnamon?"

Pushing his chair back from the table, Drake stood up, frothy 'mustache' adorning his upper lip, and said in a panicky voice, "Oh my God, that's CUMIN!" Pointing to Josh, he continued, "He's allergic, Aunt Katherine, just like our dad Walter."

Immediately Josh started to wheeze, feeling his mouth begin to burn, his lips tingling and swelling. Looking at Drake with fear in his eyes, he rasped, "Inhaler. Epi-pen. Shaving kit."

Drake ran to the bedroom to get these items. He'd seen Josh put the shaving kit on the dresser.

After the initial crisis had passed, Josh turned to Aunt Katherine and said, "If you don't mind, I'd like to lie down now. My mouth hurts and my throat and lungs feel like they're on fire."

Aunt Katherine exclaimed, "You look like you've been stung by a bee!"

Josh explained, "It's the same kind of reaction."

The boys excused themselves and returned to the bedroom. Drake knew that Josh was feeling poorly, so he suggested, "Why don't we just lay back and look through the photo album Mom sent along? We can take a safe little trip down memory lane." Drake went to find it in his baggage.

Josh answered weakly, "I could go for that. I'll get us a glass of water, to get us through the night." Josh stepped out of the bedroom and into the hallway.

Aunt Katherine walked with the aid of a cane, which had a heavy rubber tip. Seeing Josh in the dim hall, lit only by a plug-in nightlight, she thought he was an intruder. Bringing up her cane, she nailed Josh right in the family jewels. He sank to the floor with a whimper and curled up into the fetal position, protecting his groin with both hands. Aunt Katherine started ranting, "I'm calling 9-1-1. How dare you break in here and frighten an old lady nearly to death?"

Hearing the ruckus, Drake ran out into the hallway. Aunt Katherine had already pressed her Medical Alert badge, so "help" was on the way. Drake ushered Aunt Katherine to her bedroom. He ran back to Josh and knelt next to him. "I'm so sorry she hurt you," Drake said with anguish. "What can I do to make it better?"

Josh gasped, "Keep her away from me. Before she kills me."

Drake further inquired, "Do you want me to help you back to the bedroom?"

"No. Can't move yet," Josh answered, feeling nauseous and miserable.

Drake answered the door when the paramedics arrived and explained to them what had happened. After filling out an incident report and getting Aunt Katherine to sign it, he found that Josh had managed to crawl into the bedroom and onto the bed.

"For God's sake, find something to block that door, or I'll never sleep a wink," Josh requested in earnest.

Drake went down the hall to the dining area and dragged back a chair, which he wedged firmly under the doorknob. He had also brought the glass of water.

"There. She'll never get in now. I'm so sorry she hurt you," Drake fretted.

Josh ran his hand through his hair, "That makes two of us!" He tried to make light of the situation. "I think we've found our first guest villain for the _**Nance and Fance**_ show."

Drake playfully countered with "I'm telling you, it's _**Fance**__** and Nance**_. Now here. The EMS guy felt bad for you, too, and left these pain relievers."

Josh swallowed them in one gulp. Drake went to get more water. When he returned to the room, and barricaded the door, he found that Josh had gotten undressed and was in the bed furthest away from the door. Drake climbed into the other bed, which was now pushed next to its twin. They nestled themselves against an astounding variety of assorted bed pillows and decorative pillows.

With a sweeping gesture that took in both his face and his crotch, Josh said, "I hate to tell you this, but I'm sidelined. Unless you want some hand relief? That's all I can offer right now."

"I can't even think about getting my rocks off when you're in this condition. It's just so unfair. Anyway, what you said earlier about peace and quiet. You're right. Life has been zooming along in the fast lane for a while now. First Senior Week and graduation. Then my 18th birthday party. Before that was Helen's wedding and the fire. And all that drama with Spin City Records. Just now finding out about the tour. It's rolling along, man. So it's good to take a moment, right? At least we're together."

It was now Josh's turn to feel angry and depressed. He ranted, "It smells like _OLD WOMAN_ in here: a combination of baby powder, overpowering perfume, piss and moth balls. These beds are uncomfortable and you'd think she's never heard of air conditioning."

"I know! I cranked it up a notch when I went to get the chair. It should kick in soon. If she gets cold, well, she's got plenty of crocheted blankets," Drake said, soothingly, as he peeled out of his clothes from a horizontal position and tossed them over the chair next to the bed. He cuddled up next to Josh with the pictures in his lap.

Thoughtfully, Josh asked Drake, "Do you remember me telling you about Wagner's opera cycle '_**The Ring**_'?"

Drake cast through his mind and answered, "Vaguely. Not really."

Taking another route, Josh then asked, "Well, you do remember watching _**The Lord of the**_ _**Rings **_movies?"

"Yes," replied Drake.

Josh explained, "Bilbo Baggins carried the ring for years and then it passed to Frodo. Even though Bilbo would have done anything to get it back, his cycle was over. And then there was the lovely and powerful elf queen in the forest. She told Frodo that the time of the elves was passing and that they had to leave Middle Earth to go away to the West."

Confused, Drake wanted to know, "Where are you going with this?"

Josh finished his thought saying "Life goes in cycles. Nature goes in cycles. I think maybe our cycle is finished. We just didn't know it."

"Huh?" asked a puzzled Drake.

Patiently, Josh spelled it out, "Our _experiment_! You know, the one we started the night of our double date with the identical twins. If we try to 'experiment' any more, we'll only get frustrated - or _worse_. That's why our trip is turning out this way. It's like our window of opportunity has closed already, only nobody told us."

Immediately Drake scolded "Josh Nichols, I can't believe you'd be so superstitious. We're in charge of our destiny and it's not over until WE decide it's over. You're just off your game from what's happened, like I was last night. It's all becoming clear to me now, where Megan inherited her mean streak – from Aunt Katherine. Now let's look at these photos." He opened the book at random.

Josh noted, "Ah, the Dance Party contest! We finally won something together that Megan couldn't screw up for us."

The picture showed a grinning Drake, dressed 1940's style in a shirt and tie with loose pants held up with suspenders and topped with a gray fedora. Josh wore 1950's style blue jeans, a black t-shirt topped with a red long-sleeved shirt, and tennis shoes. Josh was hugging Drake from the side and planting a kiss somewhere between his left ear and temple.

"I thought you were going to tear my clothes off right then and there," Drake laughed.

Feeling a trifle happier, Josh responded, "Don't think I wasn't tempted, in the excitement of the moment!"

Josh pointed to the book. "Here we are with the supermodel. She was a tall one!"

Then Drake, cringing, said, "Oh, I hate this one – as magician's helpers. Do we look gay or what? Who _designs_ this stuff?"

"And I hate this one," Josh said, indicating the one showing him in a coonskin cap with a troop of Campfire Cadets. Josh continued, "Dad should have done the right thing and just dropped out or disbanded the troop. He never should have stuck me with it. I tried so hard with those ungrateful little girls. And the whole time _you_ were being stalked by a pre-teen."

There were photos from all their family events and vacations: Family portraits; outings to Sea World and museums; picnics and backyard cookouts; birthdays and other celebrations. There were also yearbook pictures of Drake with the Academic Team and Josh in uniform with the rest of the Belleview Badgers football team. Audrey must have included those to show she had a sense of humor! Drake was only at one event with the Academic Team and Josh's stint with the Badgers was also short-lived. Audrey had also included photos of Drake with his ever-evolving bands. The boys came to a photo from backstage when Drake had filled in for Devin Malone at the Zero Gravity concert, an awesome night never to be forgotten.

"I always thought that shirt was one of a kind, until I saw that guy at Club Diego wearing it," Drake mourned.

"Well, at least we got some mileage out of those light-sabers we 'borrowed' - until they made us give them back," consoled Josh.

There were more photos to view. Josh and the crew at The Premiere – red vest "dregs" all! Drake with girl after girl. Audrey had written in the name of each girl; she hadn't included the ones she didn't know. Drake certainly didn't care much about or remember most of their names, knowing there'd soon be another coming right along to take each one's place. There were photos of Josh and Mindy, featuring Josh at different stages of his weight loss. Then one of Drake and Josh happily playing a video game. They arrived at pages with multiple pictures from parties they had held at their house, including the one when the big storm knocked out the power and the flooding had cancelled Drake's first attempt to open for The Sparks.

Josh had missed that party, even though he'd helped to arrange it. Glancing closely at one photo from the set, he exclaimed, "Look! Is that Craig's hand on Eric's butt?!"

Drake took the album from Josh to inspect the picture. "Hmmm. You're right! I never noticed that before. So _that's_ why he was so upset about Eric leaving the country . . ."

Drake was still turning the pages when Josh dozed off. Drake knew a brother was a permanent relationship, that one could accept as a given. It was natural for brothers to go their own ways. After all, there'd always be get-togethers, e-mails, text messaging and phone calls. And special memories that only the two of them could share. He refused to have any regrets about going. Everything he'd ever wanted was finally falling into place.

Drake picked up a black felt-tip marker from the nightstand and started drawing tiny devil horns, French mustaches and pointy beards on every image of Megan that appeared in the album. He knew that would make Josh howl when he awoke! There was no need for Mom to know about the artistic alterations; she'd prepared this memory book for Drake to take with him on the tour, so he wouldn't forget that he had a family – and family values.

Audrey was well aware of the temptations there would be on the road. She was probably at home right now putting together a similar book for Josh to take with him to college. She was also, undoubtedly, knitting ghastly things for the both of them, so they wouldn't forget her.

Josh had slipped down level with the mattress, breathing noisily through his swollen, open mouth. Drake was still sitting up, humming as he flipped through the album, looking for more pictures of Megan. He leaned over and kissed the top of Josh's head. "'Night, Joshie. A good sleep will make you all better." At the sound of Drake's voice, part of Josh's subconscious brain registered that he was being addressed, and he turned from his back to his side, facing Drake, and threw his foot over Drake's leg.

Continued in Chapter 5


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: _**Drake and Josh**_ are completely owned by Viacomm and Dan Schneider, and it's very disappointing they are not owned by me.

**Author: **therubyone

_**A TIME TO SAY GOODBYE**_

_**Chapter Five – Sunday (Got Chocolate?)**_

The boys had hoped to get up before Aunt Katherine did, but they were unfamiliar with the sleep patterns of the elderly, so they had to endure breakfast with her, repeating everything they said in response to Aunt Katherine's irritable "What?" Josh was especially careful to oversee the preparation of what he was being given to eat and drink.

Drake and Josh spent the morning at the beach. They started to feel baked just as the wind picked up, blowing sand everywhere. So in they came, to find a gift basket sitting on the dresser in the guestroom. It was encased in cellophane that itself was coated in dust. The contents included a loofah, bath mitt, moisturizing lotion, shower gel, bubble bath and scented bar soaps. This was probably a gift – unused - that Aunt Katherine had received from Audrey or one of her siblings over the years. Opening it, the boys decided to shower together, since Aunt Katherine had done extensive remodeling in the bathroom. The walk-in shower was big enough to accommodate a walker or wheelchair, with dual showerheads, a removable showerhead, and a comfortable wide bench built into the wall opposite the glass doors.

Drake entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind him, telling Josh, "She's in the living room, watching Animal Channel; that will keep her busy all afternoon." At last they were alone and secure in their privacy!

Josh said nothing. He was already in the shower stall, naked and waiting. He had a peppermint candy in his mouth. As soon as Drake got in, Josh pulled him close, and started kissing him. Drake responded hungrily. Soon they were passing the candy back and forth between them, with eager tongues, until it melted away.

"Where'd you get that?" asked Drake. "Man, that was ridiculously _hot_!"

Josh replied saucily, "In between the knick knacks and the potpourri, there was a bowl full of hard candy. And I know how you like _hard candy_!"

Drake backed out of the shower, picking up an oversized towel and draping it around his waist. "Lather up that loofah. I've got an idea. Be right back."

Drake returned in a flash, sliding across the bathroom floor, tossing the towel away as he did so, triumphantly brandishing the bottle of chocolate syrup, announcing "Better late than never!"

Josh smiled, turning on the taps, and said in a gravelly voice, "I hope there's plenty of hot water."

"That's the stuff!" Josh mumbled, as Drake squirted the chocolate syrup into Josh's open mouth. Drake then gave himself a mouthful. They soul kissed so long they looked like they'd been eating mud. Josh drizzled the chocolate down Drake's chest and followed the trail with his tongue. Drake repeated the process with Josh. Before long they were taking turns sucking on and licking each other's chocolate-coated 'bananas.' They drenched their hands with the syrup and stroked each other in rhythm, encouraging each other with ecstatic sighs and moans. There were Hershey handprints everywhere: on themselves and on the walls as they joyfully maneuvered each other around the space.

Josh splashed Drake's inner thighs with the delicious syrup as he pushed Drake's back against the shower wall. Drake had his legs slightly bent as Josh began thrusting where he had just applied the chocolate for a lubricant. Josh's chest pressed Drake flat against the shower wall, his hands gripping Drake's hips. As Josh started to cum, his chocolate-y hand covered Drake's similarly coated hand and brought it up so they could both caress Drake's hard length together. Drake's body went rigid as he also met his release, which forcefully shot up onto the shower ceiling. They clung tenderly to each other for a few moments, resting, hearts beating rapidly, breathing hard, and then they surveyed the damage.

The shower, like themselves, was covered in chocolate streaks, spots and handprints. Up until this point, the water had been on mainly as a sound barrier. They now turned on the jets full force, shampooing each other's hair affectionately and using the body wash all over. Josh took the hand-held sprayer and made sure all traces of their lusty fun washed down the drain, playfully catching Drake by surprise with random watery blasts, as the stream began to go cold, causing Drake to splutter "HEY!"

Satisfied and squeaky clean, the boys stumbled back to the bedroom. Josh was the official documentarian for their trip and he took the opportunity to snap a quick picture of themselves together just before they collapsed into each other's arms in post-sex bliss, cramming themselves together into one of the twin beds, falling quickly and effortlessly into a deep, dreamless nap. They had finally found the respite they'd been seeking when they'd set out from their home two nights ago.

When they got up, Josh used the rest of the food they'd brought for camping to prepare dinner for the three of them. Great Aunt Katherine wandered into the kitchen and Josh mimed smacking her on the back of the head with a large ladle. As Drake smirked and suppressed his laughter, he led Auntie into the living room and kept her there, as far away from Josh as possible, engaging her in conversation about the shells she had glued to the lamps.

After the meal, which surprisingly pleased Aunt Katherine, who was very rarely pleased with anything, she said "It's nice of you two to keep an old widow company. Would you like to see my antique hair collection?"

"We were just going to run up to Laguna Beach and go to the carnival there," Drake said. Elaborating, he made up a story to make their escape sound more convincing, by adding, "We promised to meet up with some young ladies that told us about it this morning at the beach."

Josh touched the locket nestled deep in his pocket and said, in an effort to be sociable, "You can show us later when we get back."

It was a wonderful night at the seaside. The boys went on as many of the rides as they could and sampled cotton candy, cheese fries and all the other amusement park staples they could afford. They did meet up with a pretty pair of girls and squired them around the fairway games, winning them some stuffed toys, and receiving their grateful kisses in exchange for the fuzzy prizes.

As Josh and Drake had secretly hoped, Aunt Katherine had already gone to bed by the time they returned. In the guestroom, Drake looked in the nightstand drawer and found the remotes that controlled the beds, so they started playing, making race car noises as they raised them up and down, pretending to drive and shift gears, as they laughed themselves silly watching a late night cable-TV showing of _**Incredibly Bad Dates**_. When their yawns were coming non-stop, the boys got undressed and snuggled under the covers.

"Don't forget to download our trip pictures from the phone and put them in the album for me when we get back," Drake said to Josh (who had indeed howled at the Megan-as-Satan drawings Drake had made the night before).

Josh pushed Drake's hair back and kissed him on the forehead and stared for a minute. "I'll do it right after I get the car unpacked."

"What are you always looking at when you do that?" inquired Drake.

"Your widow's peak and your eyebrows. They're always covered by your hair," Josh answered, continuing to re-arrange Drake's hair.

"I hate my eyebrows. They're like an old man's. Besides, I can't rock without the hair! I wish you'd grow _your_ hair long again; it would give me something to hold onto," Drake kidded.

"I might. I might even get it straightened. It depends on the roles I get," Josh replied, thoughtfully.

Drake then asked, "Would you do a nude scene?"

"Probably. Depends on who with. I'd like to see _you_ grow a beard. I bet it would make you look older," Josh answered.

"Nah. Hot girls don't go for beards. I've got to think of my fan base," Drake said, matter-of-factly.

"Hey, would you rather have your parents watch you in a porno or watch your parents in a porno?" Josh wanted to know, returning to their ongoing game.

"Tough choice. I guess I'd rather see my parents – that is, our mother and my _birth_ _father_," Drake said emphatically. "Okay. Here's one: would you rather break both your arms or both your legs?"

"Legs. Definitely. Now _you_ must choose or die: would you rather be a ghost or a zombie for a month?" Josh continued.

"You know I'm afraid of ghosts. I'd have to choose being a zombie," Drake reminded Josh. "Now you - choose or die: if you had to fart or burp every five minutes for the rest of your life, which would you pick?"

"I think I'd have to go with death on that one," Josh laughed.

"I forgot to say you'd receive a million dollars for either choice," Drake added.

"A million a _year_?" queried Josh.

"Guaranteed," Drake nodded.

"Oh, well, farting then!" Josh said cheerfully.

Drake suddenly lifted the covers and shook them vigorously, with a sneaky grin.

Josh groaned, made a face and uttered "Phew! You set me up!"

"That's your cooking, dude, coming back to haunt you," Drake told him, accepting no blame for the smell, although he suspected it was actually a reaction to all the greasy fare from the carnival.

Josh rolled his eyes and pinched his nose shut. "Jeez, I won't miss your farting, always stinking up the place!"

"Is that your number seven?" asked Drake.

"I reserve final judgment," Josh said, refusing to be pinned down.

Drake sighed contentedly and rolled over, pressing his back against Josh's side. "So do you still think we're cursed or whatever?"

"No. You were right," Josh admitted, turning towards Drake and wrapping an arm around him. "I guess I've just been feeling anxious -- about us being apart. I hope you don't think _that's_ lame."

"You wouldn't be YOU if you weren't anxious about something or other," Drake chuckled, lightly pulling at the hairs on Josh's forearm. "At least a little bit. But I wouldn't want you to get a rash or a twitch over it."

The boys talked until they grew too sleepy, settling down as best they could into Aunt Katherine's crazy beds pushed together, completely at ease in their private world, loving the freedom of sleeping together in the buff.

Continued in Chapter 6


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: _**Drake and Josh**_ are owned by Viacomm and Dan Schneider, not me, although I'd like to, and I wouldn't mind owning Viacomm and Dan Schneider as well.

**Author: **therubyone

_**A TIME TO SAY GOODBYE**_

_**Chapter Six – Monday (Final Hours)**_

Drake and Josh slept in until mid-morning. If Aunt Katherine had been trying to wake them, they had been oblivious. Josh fixed brunch for the three of them. Then they spent a polite hour gazing in awful fascination at some of Aunt Katherine's strange collections and memorabilia. Finally, taking their leave, they kissed Aunt Katherine and waved goodbye to her as they headed back to San Diego.

When they pulled into the driveway at home, it was late afternoon. Drake raved about the banjo as he showed it to the family, even allowing Walter to hold it briefly.

Looking at Josh, Audrey asked him, "And what did Drake give you?"

Josh's hand was in his pocket, involuntarily closing around the hair locket, as he answered, "Um, he treated me to a juicy steak dinner." He was glad his mother had turned to examine the banjo and couldn't see the stain of red that suddenly blossomed across his face.

Josh felt like a fifth wheel while Drake fielded nonstop phone calls, going over the final details for his departure. Josh busied himself unloading the car and putting away all the camping gear around the family's double garage. Audrey kept running in and out, making sure that Drake was all packed and ready to go. She made Drake try on one of his stage outfits and took pictures of him wearing it, looking proud, and holding his guitar.

As he had promised, Josh downloaded the photos they'd taken during their mini-getaway. He examined them carefully to decide which ones to print and which ones to delete. He stopped and couldn't help smiling to himself when he saw the one they'd taken right after their chocolate syrup adventure. In the bedroom, Josh had collared Drake and held the camera up with his other hand at arm's-length, to capture both their images. They had looked up into the lens, smiled and said "cheese." What one could see in the picture was Josh, with an arm around Drake's neck, and one of Drake's hands draped over Josh's arm, the two of them smiling, the shot showing only their faces and bare upper torsos. "So that's how we look after we've done it," Josh thought to himself. Nobody would think anything out of the ordinary! All the same, Josh only printed two, deleting that image off of both the computer and the phone, carefully putting one print away for himself and slipping the other one into Drake's album, along with the other trip pictures he'd printed.

Wanting to stay out of the way, Josh went into the kitchen and baked some Fudgie-Boos for Drake to take along with him. He carefully made sure the container was Megan-proof and even went so far as to hide it. He couldn't risk Drake getting sick on tour and then thinking it was the result of eating Josh's baked goods. Josh had a strong suspicion that it was Megan who had done something to the brownies when the football team got sick. Why did his step-siblings always want to lick the spoon? He also instinctively knew that it was Megan's fault the salsa exploded, even though he didn't know how she did it, resulting in him and Drake having to re-paint the kitchen, while she enjoyed what should have been _their _Yatsubishi HD-TV.

The whole family shared a late dinner of delivery pizza and antipasto. Megan was exceptionally quiet and merely glared at the boys, listening attentively to see if her plans to wreck their trip had worked. However, to her vast disappointment, neither of them let on about it. They only said that the threat of rain had made them decide to go to Aunt Katherine's place. They thanked their parents for letting them go, and Drake told their mom how much they liked looking through the photo album, which Audrey was glad to hear.

At last, back up in their bedroom, Drake sat on the couch, yawning and mindlessly flipping channels, too keyed up to concentrate on the nonsense showing on-screen. Josh plopped down beside him and handed him a manila envelope.

"What's this?" inquired Drake, surprised.

"I wanted to give you something as meaningful and personal as what you gave me," Josh told him.

Drake gasped as he opened the envelope. "I can't take this – it's your picture of Oprah! You've removed the frame."

"The glass wouldn't travel well. She's going with you. I hope you'll come to think of her as your guardian angel. Since I can't come along, I'm sending her in my place. To act as your one-woman cheering section. And, unlike me, since she's perfect, she'll never compete with you, get angry at you, or nag you to change your ways."

Drake turned the photo over, and haltingly read the inscription, "_In loco fraternus_, with love, Josh."

"My Latin's not that good. But it's supposed to mean 'in place of a brother,'" Josh explained.

"Wow!" said Drake. Now it was his turn not to know what to make of this gift. "I have to say, though, that since I'm the one who's calling the shots now, I can't promise you that even Ms. Winfrey _in_ _loco fra-what's-it_ will have any more influence on me than anyone else. You've always tried to give me good advice, and you see how well I listened to YOU," Drake reminded Josh.

"Point taken. I'm just asking you to give her a chance," pleaded Josh, sounding reasonable.

Holding Josh's picture of Oprah in his hands filled Drake's stomach with butterflies. Suddenly it all became real: tomorrow he was leaving and by the time he came back, Josh and most of his stuff would be gone. Then Drake would be moving out on his own, too. On top of the nerves and excitement, he now felt kind of lonely . . . and scared. He got up and put the photo underneath his guitar and shut the case.

Returning to his seat on the sofa, Drake blurted, "Mom gave me one of Dad's sleeping pills because she was afraid I wouldn't get enough rest. You know how she is about that. Let's go to bed before I conk."

Indicating the platform bed, Josh asked, "Do you want to sleep up there, one last time?"

Putting a hand on Josh's arm, Drake replied, "No, I want to be with you, one last time."

They helped each other undress, without rushing. Josh pulled back the comforter. Before they crawled into Josh's double bed, Drake went to the desk behind the door. After fishing around in the drawer, he brought out Josh's special box. He reached inside and produced a tube of Astralglide. Handing it to Josh, he said "You know what I want."

They made out, so passionately it was starting to hurt, then 69-ed each other until Drake signaled Josh to stop; Drake didn't want them to finish just yet. Drake almost fainted while Josh rimmed him, it felt so nice. Applying the lube to Drake's sphincter and to two of his own fingers, Josh started patiently and gently working at the tight ring of muscles that formed Drake's anus, opening him up. Normally Drake preferred Josh to enter him from behind, as this seemed to hit his prostate the best. This time he rolled over, wanting to be face to face. Drake lubed Josh's cock with both hands and told Josh he was ready. The sedative had made him feel like his bones were melting and he was so relaxed, he felt like a rag doll.

This was Drake's final gift to Josh: surrendering himself totally. Drake didn't waste time thinking things through; he let himself be guided by his impulses and instincts, the same way he went at his music - Drake had only himself to give. And in return he was blessed with abundant self-expression that he could share with another. Josh had proven himself to be an excellent lover, responsive, caring and thorough. In his encounters with the fairer sex, Drake was always the one in control, and even though he was the object of their affection, he managed things on his own terms. This way, though, he could also be the receiver, and it pleased Drake to be sort of _courted_ in this way, to lay back, as he was prepared and entered by his lover. This memory was going to be the one he used to help himself fall asleep at night when he was in faraway, new places; by himself, or with a stranger, he could always conjure up his touchstone, Josh, in his mind.

As soon as he felt Drake's flesh encasing him, to his dismay, Josh knew he was going to cry. Instead of supporting himself on his forearms, he dropped down flat, chest to chest with Drake, and put his head over Drake's shoulder, the tears wetting the sheet, so Drake wouldn't know. Josh began thrusting slowly, as it would all be over much too soon. He didn't want to think what life would be like without his other half. Josh pressed his hands against the mattress for leverage, trying to stay in the here and now, so he could cherish every minute. Inevitably, like the turning of the tides and the passing of the seasons, Josh reached his climax. He was determined to give Drake everything tonight, so he twisted himself around and started going down. Drake was suspended somewhere in space and time, tied only to the Earth by the intense sexual sensations Josh was providing him, one on top of the other. Drake moaned and moved a strangely sluggish hand onto Josh's back.

Usually they were rather jokey, teasing and playing, often talking amiably during sex, since they were so comfortable with each other, but tonight there was a jumble of unspoken thoughts building up, like water pooling up behind a dam. Because of their intense familiarity, however, they didn't actually need to talk at all. Drake tensed and shot his wad with a groan, his hands reaching out and squeezing Josh's shoulders tightly.

Josh swallowed, rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand and whispered, "Drake." After a momentary pause, he said, huskily, "I hope you know you've made a difference in my life. A big difference."

From somewhere in orbit, Drake answered, his voice thick with feeling, "Of course. I know what you're saying. For me, it's like that song I wrote. When you hear a favorite song on the radio and you can't help singing along. When I'm around you . . . You make me happy, that's all."

Drake lifted his hand that somehow now felt like a clumsy paw to caress Josh's face. He felt the wetness from Josh's silent tears. "Aw, Joshie," Drake murmured, touched to the core. "You'll get me started," Drake said, with a catch in his voice. Then his brain shut down and Drake curled up and promptly passed out. He couldn't even express what he was thinking and feeling. The tablet had made him too muzzy, with sleep impossible to resist.

Josh sat up, holding Mr. Puff-Puff tightly, aware of the substantial warmth and weight of Drake's body in the bed next to him, occupying a space that would soon be empty, and he thought for a long time in the darkness before he lay back down.

Continued in Chapter 7


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: _**Drake and Josh**_ are owned by Viacomm and Dan Schneider, not me, but here's my chance to thank everyone connected with the show for 4 great seasons and to say how much I miss it! tears-in-eyes

**Author:** therubyone

_**A TIME TO SAY GOODBYE**_

_**Chapter Seven – Tuesday (Farewell, So Long, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye)**_

The entire family went to see Drake off. They stood waiting and watching patiently as Drake discussed things with the other musicians and the tour manager, who supervised the loading of the equipment and luggage.

The moment came when all that remained was to say goodbye. Drake swept Megan off her feet, knowing she wouldn't like it but would most likely not dare to react in front of their folks; he kissed her sloppily on both cheeks, dumped her, then moved on to his parents for more kissing, hugging and pats on the back. He was relieved that Mom was holding it together. Then he was alone with Josh, standing a few feet away from the rest of the family.

Drake spoke softly, so only Josh could hear. "I wish you'd given me a photo of Miss Nancy instead of Oprah, even though I know there aren't any photos of Miss Nancy. Don't think I don't appreciate it, though. It's because of what Oprah's meant to _you_. But as for her taking your place? Nobody can or will _EVER_ take your place."

"That's mutual, you know that," Josh rushed to reply, hoping Drake would be pleasantly surprised with the photo of the two of them that he took at Aunt Katherine's and added to Drake's album the night before.

Last night, while Drake slept, Josh had prepared and rehearsed an upbeat message to send Drake away with, but now he couldn't believe what he was saying; it burst out of him spontaneously. "Well, sugar pants, this is it. Number Seven on my list, and I don't even care if you think it's lame: the thing I will miss the most is simply being around you on a daily basis. I know you're going to meet a lot of people along the way. But whoever you may end up with in the future, don't forget it was little ole 'Miss Nancy' who popped your cherry! So your lily-white ass belongs to me. Forever." He gripped Drake in a tight but fast hug and managed to croak out, "Now go. Go. Have yourself a success story."

They were both very careful not to actually use the word "goodbye," but merely wished each other "good times." They knuckle-touched on it. Drake looked up into Josh's eyes, exhaled, and then smiled _THAT _smile, the wistful one that didn't show any teeth. Josh had seen it before, like the time they made up after Josh was "done." It was the special smile that said "I love you" without needing to say any words. Not saying anything now, because he was choked up, Drake punched Josh lightly on the shoulder, turned on his heel and purposefully rushed up the steps, disappearing onto the bus, racing to meet his future with an eager heart, putting all his attention towards the journey ahead of him.

The windows were tinted so they couldn't tell if Drake was waving farewell to them. Josh suspected he wasn't. Drake wasn't the type to look back. And that was fine as far as Josh was concerned. Something in him ached a bit, though, like when the Carmichaels' dog got hit by a car. The dog was gone, passed out of this life: it had happened so fast and nothing could change it. Yet there was still a powerful sense of loss. Josh had nothing but good will for Drake, and knew it was equally reciprocated. But they'd never be like they were. That chapter of their lives was now officially closed. He had a metallic taste in his mouth and there was ringing in his ears; it seemed as if he was watching everything from somewhere outside himself. The last place on earth he wanted to be was in "their" bedroom, now minus one. He and Audrey had set up a schedule of all the things they needed to do to prepare for Josh's departure; Josh was going to make certain that he stayed very busy, and out of the house as much as possible.

As his family stood watching the bus pull away, Josh got out his cellphone, selected one of his contacts and pressed. After a few rings, he heard a familiar voice answer.

Unbeknownst to Josh, Megan sidled closer to him, lurking behind his back. She strained her ears to listen to his conversation and heard:

"Hello, Leah? Yeah, it's Josh. I haven't seen much of you since the fire. I've missed you and I wanted to find out how you're doing. . . . Sure. I'd love to come over for dinner. . . . Excellent. . . . You're right, we have a lot of catching up to do. . . . Seven o'clock? Fine. I'm looking forward to it. . . . Peace. Out."

Josh smiled to himself and put his phone back into his pocket, which caused his hand to touch the keepsake that Drake had given him. His thumb absent-mindedly traced the silver buckles on the front of the case. Josh had looked on the web and learned that in Victorian times the buckle was a symbol of strength and perseverance. Josh chuckled quietly at the thought that Drake had picked the buckles because they represented the belts on their own two pairs of pants. Another thing he definitely would _not_ miss was Drake's white belt – stupid buckle!

"Perfect!" muttered Megan, to herself. She smiled a smile that bespoke pure evil. Now she would have most of the evening to finish booby-trapping the boob-cave with her tricks. Josh was in for the full treatment before he managed to slip away. If she was able to capture images of the torment, she'd post them on the web, and also e-mail them to Drake, so he wouldn't feel left out.

She gloated to herself at the thought of how Drake was going to react to the itching powder she'd applied liberally to the insides of all his fancy new underpants, and, as a backup, she'd also dowsed inside his tight denim trousers, in case he went commando. She'd also dipped his spare guitar picks in petroleum jelly. She had even exchanged his regular toothpaste for the tube of joke toothpaste she got when she accompanied Josh to the magician supply shop: it would turn Drake's teeth _black_! Ah, good times! Once Josh left for UCLA, she'd have Drake all to herself again, after the tour. She was already thinking of the topics she needed to update on her website under the heading "Making Boys Cry."

Megan loved her brothers dearly, a pair of silly and adorable idiots, her very own big, boob-ish playthings. Drake and Josh provided an endless font of amusement for her and there was nothing she liked better than pranking them. She didn't know what made her do it. So she liked to play rough? She didn't care. She couldn't stop. She didn't want to. She knew she'd have to ease up once they were gone, so she was hoping to give them something spectacular to remember her by, just her _own _special way of saying goodbye.

FIN


End file.
